Clock-synchronizer



(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. A. G. WISEMAN. CLOCK SYNGHRONIZER No. 437,168. Patented Sept. 23, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. G. WISEMAN.

CLOCK SYNGHRONIZBR.

No. 437,168. Patented Sept. 23, 1890.

E y, Ellyn j" m: mums nuns co., mamm'wa vuumnurou, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR IVISEMAN, OF YVEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI.

CLOCK-SYNCHRONIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,168, dated September 23, 1890.

Application filedOctoher 19, 1889. erial No. 327,555. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. WIsEMAN, of Vebstcr Groves, St. Louis county, Missouri, have made a new and useful Improvementin Clock-Synchronizers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This improvement has for its object the regulation of the seconds-hand of the clock. By means of it the seconds-hand can at once substantially and without interfering substantially with the ordinary mechanism of the clock be turned to point to any desired marksay the sixty-seconds markupon the seconds graduation, substantially as is hereinafter set forth and claimed, aided by a reference to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a face view of a clock in which theimprovement is embodied, a portion of the dial-plate being broken away to exhibita portion of the mechanism used in carrying out the improvement; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 3 of Fig. 4. within the dial-plate, the parts being aswhen the synchronizingmechanism is not acting; Fig. 3, asimilar section, the parts being as when the synchronizing mechanism is acting; Fig. 4., a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.; Fig. '7, asection on the line 7 8 of Fig. 6, the parts being in engagement; Fig. 8, a section on the same line, the parts being disengaged; Fig. 9, a side elevation of the support for the free end of the striker-operating lever; Fig. 10, a sectionalview of the seconds-hand pivot; and Fig. 11 a detail,beingaview of theinnerportion of the seconds-hand arm. eludes the outer end of the part which coacts with seconds-hand arm. The views are not all upon the same scale.

The same letters of reference denote the same parts.

The leading feature of the improvement is the means immediately employed to effectthe synchronizing of the seconds-hand A. (Shown in Figs. 1, 5, and 10, and indicated by the arrow Ain Figs. 2 and 3.) The clock mechanism other than that portion thereof which is directly associated with the improvement is not shown, such mechanism being familiar and not substantially modified by the combination there- The view inwith of the improvement under consideration, and the seconds-hand is constructed and operated in the ordinary manner, saving as the construction and operation are modified and supplemented by the improved synchronizer. The seconds-hand and seconds-hand shaft B are provided with or have connected with them an arm 0, Figs. 2, 3, 5, 10, and 11,which proj ects to the side of the shaft B. By applying power to its outer portion the arm 0 can be rotated, as indicated by the arrow 0, Fig. 2. The arm 0 and seconds-hand are so united that in the ordinary movement of the clock mechanism they I are carried around together with the seconds-hand shaft; but when the movement of the arm 0 is expedited so that it is carried around in advance of the shaft 13 the seconds-hand is carried around with it.

The preferable but not the only mode of uniting the parts A B O is shown more distinctly in Figs. 5 and 10. What might be termed a cap D is applied to the shaft B, and the arm 0 is attached to or made part of a sleeve 0, which in turn is fitted onto the cap D. The hub h of the seconds-hand is slipped onto the sleeve 0. A spring E, interposed between the sleeve 0 and the shoulder (Z of the cap, and another spring E, interposed between the other end of the sleeve 0' and the shoulder d at the outer end of the cap, exert sufiicient pressure upon the sleeve C" to cause it to be carried around with the cap D and shaft B, and the seconds-hand is carried around with the sleeve 0; but when, as stated, the arm 0 is rotated at a higher rate than that at which the shaft and cap are moving the sleeve carrying the seconds-hand is rotated also upon the cap D. This rotation of the sleeve upon the cap is in the same direction as that in which the seconds-hand shaft rotates,asthereby no interference with the normal movement of the clock mechanism isliable to occur. The synchronization of the seconds-hand is effected by relatively adjusting the secondshand and the arm C so that when the arm 0 is turned around upon the cap D to the desired quarter the seconds-hand shall point to any desired pointsay the sixty-seconds mark f upon the graduation Fupon the clock-dial G. The means for thus turning the arm C around, so that whether the seconds-hand has in synsaid Letters Patent.

chronizing it to be turned around more or less of an entire circle, are as follows: The arm 0,

or at least that surface 0 of it to which the moving force is applied, is made substantially in the form of a spiral, as shown. Coacting with this spirally-formed arm is a striker H,

Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, which has a right-angular shape, substantially as shown, and is pivoted at h to enable the striker to be turned outward to be out of the field of the movement of the arm 0 or to be turned inward to strike the arm. The two positions are shown, respectively, in

Figs. 2 and 3. The arm 0 when struckbythe striker is thereby turned sharply around upon the cap D until the further movement of the arm 0 is arrested. I Owing to the shape of the arm G, the point h of the striker rides upon the arm until thepoint h reaches the inner end of the :arm 0, substantially as shown in Fig. 3. The parts H O are relatively shaped and arranged so that the striker-point in moving inward moves against the arm 0 at the side of r the bearing upon which the arm C turns, and whether the striker-point encounters the arm C nearer to or farther away from the inner end of the arm the striker-point rides upon the arm 0 until the inner end of the arm 0 is reached. The striker is caused to act promptly, and thus the arm and seconds-hand are readily adjusted and the desired synchronization effected irrespective of the ex-l tentof the variance of thesecondshand. V

turn on its pivot by any suitable means.

Fig. 1 is shown a magnet I, whose armature I i is attached to a lever i, pivoted at 1' and; having its free end connected by means of, the tie "i with a lever J, Figs. 2 and 3, which in turn is pivoted at j, and is slotted at 3'' to receive astud h upon the striker H, and at it its free end connected with a spring K. When the magnet acts upon its armature, the I lever J is thereby turned .on its pivot j and j the striker H moved inward, as described. When the armature is released, the spring K acts to restore the leverJ and striker to their;

original respective positions.

The lever J is substantially similar to the one described by me in Letters Patent No. 387,276, granted to me August 7, 1888, as I; desire .to'use the present improvement in connection with the improved clock-synchronizing mechanism therein described-that is, the lever J is utilized for two purposes: to operate the herein-described seconds-hand synchronizing mechanism and the minutehand-synchronizing mechanism described in .In this last-referred-to i mechanism the lever J when drawn down-:

ward operates to lift the gear L, and that in turn and by means of the pins M (the pins M unite the gears L N) causes the gear N to be disengaged from the surrounding ring 0,

having the tooth 0. When the gear Nis thus disengaged, the gears L N and the minutehand shaft P are free to be turned around and synchronized, which is accomplished by causing the lever J to bear upon the pins M, and thereby cause the minutehand to point to the desired quarter. The ring 0 and its tooth are employed to transmit the motion of the ordinary gearing (not shown) of the clock to the gear Land to the minute-hand. The ring and gear are shown in engagement in Fig. 7 and disengaged in Fig. 8.

To prevent the synchronizing from occurring at irregular intervals by reason of the battery operating for other purposes, and to enable it to occur when desired, astop Q is employed. This stop is pivoted at q. The gear L is provided with a stud Z, which in the rotation of the gear encounters the arm (1 of Q the stop and causes it to be turned on its pivot and its other arm g thereby dislodged from under the lever J. As soon as this occurs, the lever J is free to be drawn downward and the synchronizing to take place. After the stud I has passed the arm q the stop Q turns back again and upholds the ,leverJ, as before.

To cause the lever J to actmore effectively upon the gear L, its outer end j is caused .to Z ride upon the inclined plane 7 The striker-point is provided with .a roller ht, which is the preferable means for forming the contact with the spiral arm, and at the inner end of the spiral arm there is preferably a recess 0 formed to receive the roller or striker, point and thereby steady the striker and enable it .to act tobetter advantage at the inner limit of its stroke.

I am aware a heart-shape'dcam, in combination with a striker, has been used. for adjusting the hands of a clock, .and hence do not here claim such a construction; nor would such a cam serve my present purpose, which is to provide. for adjusting the secondshand by an operation which does not interfere with the escapement of the .c1ockthat is, by always moving the hand in a forward direction to the desired point of adjustment irrespective of its position upon the dial at the moment the synchronization is to be et- 1 fected.

I claim 1. In a time-piece, the combination of the seconds-hand shaft, the seconds-hand, and the spiral arm and striker, said spiral arm curving around a complete circuit and in its operation always moving in a forward direction, substantially as-described.

2. A timepiece whose seconds-hand is united with a spiral arm, said spiral arm curving around a complete circuitand in its operation always moving in a forward direction, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, in a time-piece, of the spiral arm, the striker, and the lever J, said spiral arm curving around a complete circuit and in its operation always moving in a forward direction, substantially as described.

4:. The combination, in a time-piece, of the seconds-hand, the seconds-hand shaft, and an arm united with said shaft, to which movement is imparted to effect the synchronization of said hand, said hand, shaft, and arm in such synchronization always moving in a forward direction, for the purpose described.

5. In a time-piece, the combination of the spiral arm, the striker, the pivoted arm J and the adjustable stop, substantially as described.

itness my hand this 16th day of October, 1889.

ARTHUR G. \VISEUAN.

Witnesses:

O. D. MooDY, D. W. G. SANFORD. 

